Siegfried & Roy’s Jungle Palace. Photo credit: Colton Soref for Bonhams.
Though Siegfried & Roy began performing in Las Vegas in 1967, the pair became household names in the ‘90s thanks to their hugely popular 13-year run at The Mirage in Vegas. Their astounding shows, featuring rare white tigers and other members of their beloved animal family, made the duo of entertainers and illusionists iconic.
This week, over 500 items from Siegfried & Roy’s estate will be auctioned on Wednesday, June 8, and Thursday, June 9 at Bonhams.
While attending the press preview for the “Siegfried and Roy: Masters of the Impossible” auction at Bonhams’ showrooms in West Hollywood, Helen Hall, Bonhams’ Director of Pop Culture, told me “The sumptuous, exquisite lives they lived are reflected in these pieces.”
Siegfried & Roy owned two Las Vegas homes full of treasures. One, the Jungle Palace, was Southeast Asia themed. The second, Little Bavaria, was an extravagant 80-acre hideaway created to remind Siegfried of his German upbringing.
As befits Las Vegas legends known for their flamboyant style, their costumes and possessions were often over the top. Those lavish sensibilities are on full view at Bonhams. You’ll find dinnerware, much of it printed with tigers and other big cats, from the likes of Christian Dior and Versace. An assortment of delightfully campy stage costumes. Gorgeous, vibrant posters promoting magic acts from the 1930s. Photos of the duo with Hillary Clinton and several US Presidents.
Siegfried & Roy costume worn during shows at The Mirage. Photo credit: Bonhams.
Also featured are paintings and lithographs by Salvador Dali, Peter Max, and Marc Chagall, a signed bronze sculpture by Erté, and autographed photos from cultural icons including Frank Sinatra, Brigitte Bardot, and Marlene Dietrich.
Crystal lovers will be enchanted by the collection here that includes amethyst geodes over six feet tall. Jewelry abounds, including a flashy gold Rolls Royce logo ring, large diamond crosses, and luxury watches from Cartier, Longines, and Piaget.
The furniture and objects from the duo’s two homes include treasures gathered from around the world. I loved the towering Mexican brass sculpture, nearly 7 feet tall, of three palm trees. You’ll also find lamps shaped like flamingos or monkeys, chairs depicting peacocks, a Lalique glass leopard, and much more.
Helen told me, “There is something for almost everyone at this auction. Most of these items have no reserve price.”
Want to own a piece of show business history? Many smaller items are expected to go for as little as $200.
To bid on items from “Siegfried & Roy: Masters of the Impossible,” you can bid online or with the Bonhams app. All proceeds will go to the SARMOTI Foundation, the charitable foundation established by Siegfried & Roy.
(Photo gallery below by Karin E. Baker for The LA Beat)
